Labeling-machine.



No. 680,986. Patented Aug. 20, l90l.

. R. F. STAHL. LABELlNG MACHINE. (Application filed Oct. 2'2, 1898.) I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shep! l.

No; 680,986." r

R; F. STAHL. LABELING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Oct. 22, 1898.)

"(no Model.) I- I a Shaev-Shaet 2. A

m: norms Pawns co worcflumou WASHlNGTON. n. c,

No. 680,986. PatemedAug 20, 190i.

-R. F. STAHL. LABELING MACHINE.

[Application filed Bet. 22, 1893.)

3 Sheetr-Shae't 3.

{No Model.)

THE uonms Ptrzns co.. PHOTGLITNO wnsumm'au. n. c.

1 ATENT' FFICE.

RUDOLPH F. STAHL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BOTTLERS MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LABELING- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,986, dated August 20, 1901. Application filedOctoher 22, 1898. Serial No. 694,268. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH F. STAHL, of

Boston, in the county of Snfiolk and State'of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Labeling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to machines for pasting labels upon bottles, cans, boxes, or

other articles, and has for its object. to provide certain improvements in the same, whereby the labels may be more expeditiously and firmly affixed to articles of different sizes and shapes and whereby the machines themselves may berendered more simple in construction and more highly efficient in operatimes, especially when the label is longer than one-half the circumference of the bottle, to paste it only at the ends, and therefore another object of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby labels of all kinds may be placed upon their receptacles with equal facility andwhereby their ends will be pressed against the surfaces of the bottles, cans, or other receptacles.

To this end the invention consists of a ma chine possessing certain features of construction and arrangement of parts which may be employed in combination or separately, all as is illustrated upon the drawings and now to be described in detail, and pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Reference is to bob ad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features,

. as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents in front elevation a labeling-machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents the same in side elevation. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. I. Fig. 4: represents a partial sectional View of one of the wipers and its adjuncts. Fig. 5 represents a plan view of the same, Figs. 4: and 5 showing the parts on a large scale.

I Referring to the drawings, I have illustrated the machine which I have selected as best showing one embodiment of the invention, and although I shall now proceed to describe the same more or less minutely it will be understood that I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the particular combination of parts or to the employment of the said parts in combination, as dlifierent portions of the machine may be used separately and many changes may be made in the same without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

' The machine is best adapted for affixing labels to cans, as Well as glass bottles of various sizes and shapes; but it may be changed to adapt it for many other uses and purposes when desired. It is constructed with a frame having side standards a a, connected by cross-braces aa, as shown in Fig. 1.

The frame may be formed in any shape consistent with lightness and strength and adapted to receive and support the various movable parts which are required for gumming a label and affixing it smoothly to a bottle or other receptacle. In the upper part of the frame a power-shaft b is journaled in suitable bearings a a formed on the side standards a, power being applied to the shaft by means of a pulley b or by any other desired means. From this shaft power is transmitted to the movable parts of the machine.

Pivoted upon a shaft 0, mounted in the upper portion of the machine and secured in the standards a, is a cam-actuated lever 0, having on its inner end a roller extending into engagement with a cam 0 rigidly secured to the power-shaft b. Pivoted to and depending from the outer end ofthe lever c' is a label-carrier, which, as shown, consists of the slotted bar 0 formed at its lower end with studs 0 to extend into apertures in two oppositely-movable arms ct The said arms 0 hang loosely from the bar 0 being connected by a spring 0 and are provided with extensions or stops 0 to abut against adj ustablo screws 0 which limit the inward movement of their lower ends, the said screws being threaded throughlugs c", as shown in Fig. 1, on the lower end of the bar 0 Upon the lower ends of the arms 0 are secured labelcarrying shoes 0 which may be of any material suitable for the purpose. By means of the lever c and its cam the label-carrier is raised and lowered, andthrough the medium of the devices which I shall now describe it is swung bodily about its pivot to receive a label and deposit it upon a bottle. To the bar 0 is connected a slide (1, having its slotted or forked end extending past the powershaft 19, as shown in Fig. 3, and having a roller (1 projecting into a cam-slotin a camdisk d secured to the power-shaftb. In the t path of 'the label-carrier is placed the tank or receptacle e for the gum or paste which is used for sticking the label to the bottle or other receptacle. The tank rests upon adjusting-screws e, threaded through lugs a a projecting inwardly from the standards a of the frame, there being lock-nuts e on the screws 3 to lock them after they have been once adjusted. The tank is filled with any desirable paste orgumming material, and partially submerged therein is the paste-distributing roller or rollers. As shown, I employa single roll f, equalinlength to the label to be employed; but two separated rollers for applyinga thin strip of paste at'cach end of the label may be used instead.

The shaft f for the roller or rollers is formed at one end with a toothed wheel f shown as coincident in diameter with the roll f. The label-carrier is provided with a downwardly-projecting rack or arm' f having teeth to engage the toothed wheel, so that when the label-carrier swings to the rear the rack comes in contact with the toothed wheel f and rotates the paste-roll. In order to regulate the pressure of the shoes against the paste-roll, the carrier is provided with a roll f which rides upon a cam spur or projection f projecting rearwardly from a bracket a secured to one of the side standards a. This construction and arrangement insures that l the paste will be distributed evenly on the surface of the label-carrying shoe.

In the rear of the tank is placed the labelbox, which, as shown, consists of a plate g, having uprights g to receive the labels. It is mounted on a plunger drawn upward automatically by a weight g The plate 9 is. mounted upon the end of a lever g fulcrumed at g in the standards a of the frame and having at its upper enda roller bearing shown inFig. 3.

to operate the lever 9 and thereby" unlock the piston 7t and allow the weight g to force it and the labels up against the gummed shoes of the label-carrier. When the pin 9 is disengaged from the projection f, the lockinglever immediately engages the piston to lock it against further movement. The label-box and the pin g are normally out of the plane of the shoes on the label-carrier, so that when the label-carrier has reached its rearmost position in alinement with the label-box the cam operates the lever g to elevate the said label-box and bring the pin g into engagement with the projection f of the label-carrier, and before the label-carrier begins its forward movement the label-box is depressed.

Mounted to slide in a guide a", projecting outward from the top of the cross-bar a, and in the end of the arm a projecting outward from one of the standards a, is a plunger h.

It is reciprocated, by a lever h, fulcru med at k and operated by a cam-slide 71 embracing the power-shaft b, as illustrated in Fig. '3,

said slide having a roller projecting into a cam-slot in a cam h on the power-shaft 1).

other receptacle which is being labeled. It fits within a reciprocatory tubular bar 1', sliding in a guide t secured to the front of the ma chine. A cushionin -s rin 2' is inter osed between the lower end of the plunger 2' and the bottom of the socket in the bar 1', as The plunger is reciprocated by mechanism including an arm t engaging v a roller '6 on the bar t, which projects through a slpt in the guide 4?, said arm being mounted on a rock-shaft i.

The power-shaft b on its end has a crank 76, to which the crank-pin lo" \isadjustably secured, and a connecting-rod connects said pin with a pin 1, adjustably secured in a slotted arm i rigidly affixed to the rock-shaft a).

By this arrangement of parts the rotation of the power-shaft effects a reciprocation of the plunger, the play thereof being varied as desired.

For the purpose of wiping the label upon the bottle or other receptacle I provide the following devices: m 'm indicate arms fulcrumed uponstuds m m, projecting forward from webs i, which extend laterally from the tubular guide 1'. Wipers m formed of rubber or other suitable material, are supported by these arms and'are adapted to engage the ends of the label and wipe them in'an opposite direction upon the bottle, said wipers being arranged to yield in several directions to accommodate bottles of various sizes and shapes. Each wiper is formed with two lips m m the latter of which performs the initial wiping while the former completes the operation, especially where the label is greater in length than one-half the circumference of the bottle or can. Said wipers. are secured in holders m", which are recessed to receive them and which are also formed with inholder. laterally to support guide pins n which wardly-extending tongues m to take into lon gitudinal grooves in the top and bottom faces of the wipers. Studs m project from the ends of each holder and are socketed at the extremities to receive inwardly-extending comically-pointed screws m passed through the arms of a yoke 02, which is pivoted by a stud n to a lug m on the end of the arm m. Each holder is free to swing upwardly, but is held against downward movement by a pin 71?, projecting forward from the center of the yoke and overlapping a lug m on the On its end each arm 1% is extended pass through slots in the yoke at points equidistant from its pivot-stud at, there being spiral springs n coiled about said pins and tending to normally hold the yoke in a central position, so that the two wipers are parallel. By this arrangement of parts the wipers will yield upwardly and likewise laterally about the pivots n to wipe a label upon a conical or otherwise irregularlyrshaped hottle, can,or similar receptacle. Pivoted upon the studs m are arms 0, bent at their upper ends, as at 0, to form stops for the,purpose of limiting the extent of inward movement of the wipers, and said arms may be adjusted about said studs and then secured in place by bolts 0 passed through the lower ends of said arms and through curved slots in the webs i on the guide Bent levers p 1) are pivoted between their ends by pivots pp in the extremities of said webs, and their upper andoutwardly-projecting ends are formed to receive the lower ends of springs 1 19. These last-mention ed springs have eaeh'several coils ing of the ends of the label.

to increase its strength and resiliency, and they bear against the upper ends of the arms m, lying between two lugs m thereon, where- -by the wipers are held yieldinglyin position to engage the articles beinglabeled. Where the labels-are longer than one-half the circumference of said articles it is generally difficult to wipe the ends thereof upon the latter, as the movements of the top, and bottom plungers is quite rapid. Hence I secure to the lower plunger 7) t a cam q, adapted to engage rollers 19 p on the lower ends of the levers p, and swing said wipers inward just as the bottle is half-way past them, whereby they accomplish an extra or additional wip- The tubular bar t" and the guide 6 are slotted to receive shouldered screw-pins 10 which secure the cam to the plunger, said cam being slotted to receive said pins and being thereby adj ustable with respect to said plunger to cause the actuation of the arms at different times in accordance with the size or style of bottle or can that is being labeled. It will be understood that where the labels are comparatively short it is unnecessary that the secondary or auxiliary mechanism should be operated to increase temporarily the strength of the springs. In addition to these features I provide mechanism for printing, impressing,

or otherwise marking upon the backs of the labels the date, a trade-mark, or data of any kind. A type bar or lever r is fulcrumed at r in lugs a a on one of the standards a, and its arm is long enough to cause the type in the holder r adjustably secured thereon, to strike the top label in the label-box when said bar is swung downwardly. The type may be removably secured in theholder in any suitable way. The short arm of the bar or lever projects through the standard a and is pivotally connected by a stud r to a curved link r which is in turn pivoted by a stud r (at right angles to the stud W) to an extensiblyadjustable rod r whose other end is pivoted by a stud r to the strap r of an eccentric s. The said eccentric s is loose upon a studshaft 3 and is secured to or forms a part of a pinion 3 adapted to be intermittingly engaged by a gear-segment s on the main shaft 1). The parts are so timed that when the label-carrier has picked up a label and carried it forward the type-bar will be swung downwardly with a quick motion to cause the type to engage the top label in the label-box. An inking-roller t is journaled in a' yoke t, extending laterally from the label-carrier, and when the latter swings forwardly the inkroller impinges against the type on the typebar.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all the modes of its use, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A labeling-machine comprising suitable mechanism for gumming and presenting a label, spring tensioned separable wipers adapted to wipe the label on a bottle or can, and means supplemental to said springs for causing said wipers to wipe the ends of a label greater in length than one-half the circumference of the bottle.

2. A labeling-machine including wipers, means for operating the wipers, and auxiliary means for imparting an additional movement to the wipers toward each other.

3. A labeling-machine including wipers, springs bearing against said wipers, and means supplemental to the bottle or can for increasing the tension of said springs as the engagement with said cam for moving said able supports, non-rotary wipers, universal I joints between the wipers and the supports, springs for yieldingly positioning said wipers, and stops for limiting the movements of said wipers.

11. A labelingmachine comprising supports, wipers pivotally supported on said supports to swing longitudinally of the bottle being labeled, and springs between said supports and said wipers.

12. A labeling machine comprising flat non-rotary label-wipers, pivotal arms supporting said wipers, a gimbal-joint between each wiper andits support, and stops for limiting the inward movement of said arms.

13. A labeling-machine comprising labelwipers, pivotal arms supporting said wipers, and stop-bars having flat faces to engage the edges of the-arms and limit the inward movement of said arms, said bars-being adj ustable in an arc aboutthe pivots of said arms to presegment.

serve the parallelism of said flat faces with the said edges of the arms. I

14;. A labeling-machine comprising alower rest or plunger, 2. tubularbar forsaid rest or plunger in which the latter is movable, a spring in said bar for cushioning said rest or plunger, a tubular guide for said bar, and

. means for positively reciprocating said tubular bar.

15. Alabeling-machine comprising pasting means, a label-box, atype-bar, and mechanism for causing said type-bar to intermittingly engage the labels in the label-box, said mechanism including a pinion, and a gear- 16. Alabeling-machine compris ng pasting means, a label-box, a type-bar, and mechanism for causing said type-bar to intermittingly engage the labels in the label-box, in: eluding an eccentric, an eccentric-strap me-, diately connected to the type-bar, and mechanism for rotating said eccentric.

17. A-labeling-machine comprisingaframe,

pasting means, a label box or holder, a labelcarrier, a power-shaft for actuating said carrier, and printing mechanism for printing the labels including a type-bar pivoted to said frame, and operative connections between I said type-bar and said power-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH F. squint.

Witnesses: o

HORACE BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

